Tuesday, 20 November 2007
Is it discrimination
Wednesday, 14 November 2007
Letter on behalf of Linda Fabiani
Culture and Gaelic Division
T: 0131-244 6445 F: 0131-244 0353
E: Linda.Roberts@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
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Our ref: 2007/0037238OR
12 November 2007
Dear
Thank you for your e mail of 31 October to Linda Fabiani, Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture, concerning the Little Scholars Nursery in Glasgow. I have been asked to respond.
I understand that the main campus of Langside College, within which the Little Scholars Nursery is located, is due to relocate to new premises in December 2008. This may have consequences for the continued operation of the nursery.
As far as I know, Glasgow City Council, which currently allocates funding for the provision of Gaelic-medium education in the nursery, is considering how the authority may respond to demand for Gaelic nursery provision in that area of Glasgow, should it be the case that the Little Scholars Nursery cannot be accommodated within the new college campus.
I realise that you and other parents have already voiced your concerns about the Little Scholars Nursery to Glasgow City Council. I would, however, recommend that you continue your dialogue with the Council, so that it can arrive at as well an informed decision as possible when considering the options available to it for the provision of Gaelic-medium education for this age group in the south side of Glasgow.
Yours sincerely
Linda Roberts
Culture and Gaelic Division
Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ
www.scotland.gov.uk
Thursday, 8 November 2007
HOW ARE YOU ALL FEELING?
DEMORALISED AND WANTING TO THROW THE TOWEL IN, I KNOW I SHOULD BE
FOCUSING ON HOW TO OBTAIN WHAT WE WANT FOR THE FUTURE BUT IT FEELS THAT
IT IS GOING TO BE A VERY DIFFICULT AND UPHILL STRUGGLE WHERE WE MAY NOT
HAVE ANYTHING AT THE END, AND I AM ASKING MYSELF IS IT GOING TO BE
WORTH IT?
IF A PRIVATE BUSINESS WAS TO TURN AROUND AND SAY WE WILL TAKE OVER THE
GME NURSERY AT LANGSIDE I WOULD JUMP AT A PLACE IN IT.IT IS NOT A LONG
TERM SOLUTION BUT ON A SELFISH NOTE IT WOULD GIVE ME WHAT I NEED FOR
THE NEXT 3 YEARS, AND I KNOW I AM NOT ALONE IN THINKING THIS.
IF OUR CHILDREN WERE IN A PRIVATE 0-5 ENGLISH NURSERY AND IT WAS
CLOSING WE WOULD HAVE TO GO TO ANOTHER PRIVATE 0-5 NURSERY. THE COUNCIL
WOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN THIS AND I THINK WE HAVE TO REALISTIC ABOUT
HOW MUCH THEY CAN BE INVOLVED AT PRESENT GIVEN THE CURRENT GUIDLINES.
Minutes of Parents & Staff Meeting on 30/10/07
Sgoil Araich Na Sgoilearan Beaga Parents & Staff Meeting 7:00 pm, Tuesday 30 October 2007 Held at Little Scholar’s Nursery DRAFT MINUTES |
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PRESENT | |||||
Karen Barlow | Parent | Anemorè MacKenzie | Parent | ||
Pat Donald | Parent | Gordon Miche | Parent | ||
Jackie Hoy | Parent | Marie Morgan | Parent | ||
Fiona Kinnaird | Parent | Iain F Nairn | Parent | ||
Cathie MacAuley | Parent | Michelle A Nairn | Parent | ||
Janet MacDonald | Staff | Johnny Rodger | Parent | ||
Douglas McDougall | Parent | Marianne Rodgers | Parent | ||
Dave MacGillvery | Parent | Catriona Scallion | Parent | ||
Marion MacIness | Staff | Shirley Tees | Parent | ||
Angela MacKay | Parent & Staff | Anne Wilson | Staff | ||
APOLOGIES | |||||
Morag Connor | Parent | Kenna McCusker | Parent | ||
Stephen Connor | Parent | Francis MacGregor | Parent | ||
Kenneth Graham | Parent | Martin MacGregor | Parent | ||
Leanne Graham | Parent | Elaine MacInnes | Parent | ||
Iona Jack | Parent | Kathleen MacKay | Parent | ||
Murdo Kennedy | Parent | Margaret MacNeil | Parent | ||
Stuart Kinnaird | Parent | ||||
ACTION | ||
1 | Comann nam Pàrant (CnP) The work of CnP in supporting the parents and staff of Little Scholars is very much appreciated but this meeting has been called as there is a need for both parents and staff to have a distinctive voice in negotiations on the future of Sgoil Araich Na Sgoilearan Beaga. The purpose of this meeting is to allow us to gather our views in order that we can express them clearly to CnP and Glasgow City Council. | |
2 | Meeting on 7 November 2007 Jim Whannell and Peggy Macintosh of Glasgow City Council and Catriona McNeil of CNAS will be attending next week’s meeting. | |
3 | Current Position Some parents who have contacted their MSPs and councillors have received general reassurances that alternative provision will be made but no specific information has been given and parents are greatly concerned that that the alternative provision offered may not be suitable for their needs and those of their children. | |
4 | Holmlea Nursery The council have stated that they are looking at the feasibility of setting up a Gaelic nursery in the premises currently occupied by Holmlea Nursery on Holmlea Road, a short distance from the current location of Sgoil Araich Na Sgoilearan Beaga. A move to these premises would be welcomed by the parents provided that the new provision was offered on a like-for-like basis including maintenance of the current hours and age range. | |
5 | Timescales Though the closure of Sgoil Araich Na Sgoilearan Beaga is planned for December 2008, it is vital that firm arrangements for future provision of its services are put in place as soon as possible. The parents recognise that Gaelic nursery staff can be hard to recruit and they are therefore very concerned about the possibility of current staff leaving as a result of their future employment being insecure. | |
6 | New Gaelic Provision at Lyoncross Nursery The new Gaelic nursery provision being introduced at Lyoncross nursery, though a welcome addition to Glasgow’s Gaelic nursery provision in its own right, is not in any was a suitable alternative to the services currently being provided by Sgoil Araich Na Sgoilearan Beaga. The travelling distance to Lyoncross, the hours available at the nursery and the absence of 0 – 3 yrs provision all make this totally unsuitable for the parents and children of Sgoil Araich Na Sgoilearan Beaga. | |
7 | Parent Representation The parents wish to be represented at any future meetings with Glasgow City Council. 6 member of the group were selected to form a steering group who will act as key contacts and representatives of the parents in communications with CnP and Glasgow City Council. The members of this steering group are (in alphabetical order):
The steering group will meet on Monday 5 November to prepare for the meeting on Wednesday 7 November. | Steering Group |
8 | Current Roll & Waiting List Any alternative provision should maintain the current nursery roll and waiting list. | |
9 | Current Staff The current staff at the nursery have been told by Glasgow City Council that the Council does not have an obligation to offer them employment in any alternative provision that is offered to replace the current services being provided by Sgoil Araich Na Sgoilearan Beaga. The parents are very concerned that a sudden change to a new group of unfamiliar staff would be a significant and disruptive change for their children and they feel strongly that the current staff should be transferred to the new facility so that the children have the continuity of the staff moving with them when their surroundings change. In light of this, the parents wish to request that the move to alternative premises should be carried out as a takeover of Sgoil Araich Na Sgoilearan Beaga that would be subject to Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) Regulations in order that the current staff can be maintained. | |
10 | 0 – 3 years Provision The staff and parents would like to make clear to the Council the importance of the 0 – 3 years provision in attracting parents to Gaelic Medium Education (GME). Children’s language skill develop significantly before they turn 3 years of age and parents and staff both feel that pre-3 GME is a huge benefit to the children in developing their Gaelic. A number of parents, who do not have a Gaelic speaker in the home, stated that that they would not have chosen Gaelic Medium Education if it had only been available from 3 years of age. The pre-3 provision of GME was essential to them as they would not have felt comfortable in intensively introducing their child to a new language at age 3. The subsidy provided for 0 – 3 years places is provided by the Scottish Government via Glasgow City Council. | |
11 | Further Questions & Comments Anne Wilson will place a box for questions and suggests in the nursery. If anyone would like to raise any additional issues at next Wednesday’s meeting, they should put a note in the box by Monday (5 November) and the Steering Group will check the box on Monday evening. | A Wilson Steering Group |
12 | Date of Next Meeting Arrangements for the next meeting are as follows: Date: Wednesday 7 November Time: 7:30 pm Venue: Little Scholars Nursery |
Monday, 29 October 2007
Forthcoming meetings
I understand that there is also a meeting to be held on the 7th of November at 7:30 at the nursery. Further information will be circulated nearer the time.
Friday, 12 October 2007
Fw: Comann nam Pàrant - Glaschu Little Scholars parents’ update: 11 October 2007
1. A scheduled CnP meeting with Glasgow City Council Education Department officials was held on Monday 8 October. Time was set aside to discuss the planned closure of the Gaelic nursery at Little Scholars. On the Council's part, Peggy McIntosh, Jim Whannel, and Iain Macdonald were in attendance.
2. Mary Galbraith – Convener of CnP – Glaschu – updated the officials on the meeting held last week, and communicated the parents' concerns and aspirations.
3. The officials were interested to know that parents favour the Holmlea suggestion. They are actively pursuing this option, and are still investigating the feasibility of making this a Council run GME nursery. The revenue-funding bid, covering the period April 2008 to March 2009 has been submitted, and this is solid evidence of the Council's continued support for this service model. It is not thought that there will be much by way of physical building work required, however this is being checked.
4. Mary communicated the parents' preferences, in relation to location, operating period (ie to include non-term time holidays) and staffing, and these were noted.
5. We have also asked for a visit (by a small delegation, to keep it manageable), to see the facility first-hand. They will contact us when they have established a suitable date and time.
6. In order to formalise our interest in pursuing this option, CnP – Glaschu will write formally to the Director of Education, expressing our interest in pursuing Holmlea as a GME all-day, birth to five years, nursery and day-care facility. This letter is being sent this week, before the October holidays.
7. It may be helpful to make carefully targeted approaches to the Councillors; however, this task needs to be handled very sensitively. In the interests of making sure that the parent body is united on this matter, such lobbying should be tightly controlled for it to be effective.
8. By way of information, the Council officials mentioned that advertisement for Lyoncross staffing will be placed during October. It is likely to be January 2008 before the service starts. As was stated at the parents' meeting, the Council always planned this to be additional capacity, and is not considered to be a substitute for the Little Scholars service.
9. Parents and friends wishing to receive this information by email should email her Jackie Hoy at jackie.hoy@btintern et.com with their personal contact details.
10. Also, this information is being posted on the CnP – Glaschu yahoo group site: http://uk.groups. yahoo.com/ group/CnP_ Glaschu, the Little Scholars notice-board, and a dedicated blog http://sgoilearan- beaga.blogspot. com.
As a group of parents, it will be worthwhile holding a further meeting to discuss progress, probably at the end of October or early November. At this time it would also be worthwhile seeking volunteers for a small sub-group to co-ordinate any activities that may be necessary to progress matters, such as attending meetings, drafting standard letters, communications.
Thursday, 4 October 2007
Notes of meeting at Little Scholars Nursery: 2 October 2007
Notes of meeting at Little Scholars Nursery: 2 October 2007
1. A total of 38 people attended, representing:
a) Parents of infants in the early years stage of the nursery
b) Parents of children in the pre-school years stage of the nursery
c) Parents of children who are on the waiting list
d) Staff of the nursery
e) Directors of the nursery
f) Convener of Comann nam Parent – Glaschu
g) Chief Executive of CNSA
Apologies were also received from five families who were unable to attend.
2. The role of Comann nam Pàrant was explained, and that any parent with a child in Gaelic-medium education – nursery, primary and secondary – is automatically represented by CnP.
3. Discussion took place on the current situation, with regards to Little Scholars/ Langside:
a) The Council has indicated that they are not empowered to fund Langside College, and an associated private nursery business, to the tune of £500,000.
b) This is the sum that the College has said it would need to build the Gaelic Nursery facility, within its overall plans for campus redevelopment; an amount of money which it sought to obtain from the Council.
c) We understand that the Council never made any such funding commitment, therefore, talk of "the Council withdrawing funding" misrepresents the actual events, and is not true.
d) If it had such available money – and the financial powers - there are probably other GME investments that it could consider before donating funds to an external capital investment.
e) The Council has provided financial support for the staffing costs of the GME nursery provision, and is committed to the continuation of this practice - none of this is under threat.
f) Parents considered asking the College what its rationale was for pursuing this course of action, perhaps with a view to getting the decision overturned.
g) After discussion it was agreed that this would not be the most useful course of action.
4. Discussion took place on the current situation, with regards to Lyonscross:
a) The Council has plans to expand the GME nursery provision in the city, by offering GME nursery places at Lyoncross in Pollok.
b) This facility will provide care equivalent to the pre-school service available at Rowena in Kinghtswood, and Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu, offering five sessions per week to parents.
c) The exact date for this service to commence will depend on staff recruitment, and it is hoped that it will start as soon as staff are appointed.
d) There will be 20 places – ten in the morning, and ten in the afternoons – for 3 and 4-year olds.
e) It was always intended that this would be additional provision, under the assumption that the Little Scholars service would continue, (if not at Langside, then ideally re-provided from a new location).
f) This additional capacity, and has been planned because numbers in GME nurseries continue to grow: Total GME nursery numbers in Glasgow rose 22% in the last year.
g) It was never designed to substitute for the service that is being currently offered at Little Scholars.
h) For many (though not all) Little Scholars parents, this service does not meet their needs, however it does represent valuable extra provision.
5. Discussion took place regarding the future options available to Little Scholars parents:
a) The favoured option is one that has been suggested by the Council, and involves securing an existing, soon-to-be redundant nursery facility: Holmlea[1], 77 Holmlea Road, G44 4AQ
b) Council officers are investigating the feasibility of this option at present, and will be able to communicate soon, we anticipate, on whether or not it will be possible.
c) The building is a nursery at present, however, part of the Council's primary school redevelopment means that this service will in future be available from the new-build/ redeveloped primary schools in the area.
d) It is possible that a capital receipt from the sale of this redundant facility has been factored into the Council's planning, and if so, a Council decision would be needed to retain the building for Council Education purposes.
e) The Education Officer who has suggested this option was ill, and not at work on the day of the meeting, and so the latest information was not available.
f) A meeting with her is scheduled on other matters, on Monday 8 October, and CnP will suggest that the Langside Nursery issue should be discussed at some point that day.
g) In order to represent the Nursery parents at this meeting one of the Little Scholars parents will try to attend this meeting, other commitments permitting.
h) If it transpires that Holmlea is not feasible, parents would like the option of assessing other possible buildings, rather than be offered a no-choice – take-it-or-leave-it decision.
i) In general, parents would prefer a replacement facility to be within one mile of the current Langside location.
j) The parents are concerned that the current staff may not stay for the 15-month period that the current Gaelic nursery plans to operate, and the staff also have concerns.
k) CnP will raise with the Council what steps can be take to provide assurances for staff, that continuity will be pursued vigorously, and to explore the option of Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE) arrangements applying to staff who could transfer from Nursery employment to the Council.
l) Other broad options that were considered comprise:
i) Moving the portacabin to a different site;
ii) Finding a private nursery operator to start up a GME nursery / day-care business;
iii) Asking the College to reconsider its decision not to secure facilities for a GME nursery;
iv) Operating a Gaelic nursery as a charitable/ parent led/ community venture.
m) These other options may be pursued if the preferred Council option does not materialise.
6. On future meetings and communications it was agreed:
a) Use will be made of email, the CnP – Glaschu yahoo group: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/CnP_Glaschu, and the Little Scholars notice-board to update all parents.
b) Jackie Hoy offered to collate all email addresses, and parents should email her at jackie.hoy@ btinternet.com with their personal contact details.
c) The meeting originally schedule for Wednesday 10 October may not be necessary; depending on the outcome of the Council meeting on Monday 8 October.
d) An update will be sent to parents informing them of whether or not it will take place.
e) The option of inviting the Director of Education to a meeting was discussed, however, it was agreed that this option would only be pursued in the event that difficulties arose in the pursuit of the preferred solution.
Thanks very much to all who turned up, and to the directors of Little Scholars for accommodating the meeting, and providing refreshments and biscuits.
Le deagh dhurachd
Mary Galbraith – Convener, Comann nam Pàrant – Glaschu
[1] On the Council's website, Holmlea is listed as one of the Councils "Extended Daycare Establishments" saying, "These services can provide education and daycare for children from birth until school entry date and are open up to 52 weeks per year, mainly between the hours of 8.00am and 6.00pm. …Places are offered for children on a full-day or part-day basis."